Daughter of Daedalus
by Nicoletta Katherine
Summary: Adara is the Daughter of Daedalus. Daedalus made the Labyrinth. Luke and the Titan Army need to get through the Labyrinth. Adara has the gift of sight and can find her way through it like it's her own house. You can see where this is going...
1. Problems

"You wanted to see me, Chiron?" I ask, stepping into the sitting room of the Big House. Percy, Annabeth and Thalia are sitting in chairs around the room also. I stop; surprised when I see them. "Oh. Hey guys," I smile nervously.

They all look nervous and anxious. That's not good in demigod language.

I make a face. "What's going on?"

"You might want to sit down," Percy says.

I take a seat in one of the remaining arm chairs and relax. "Okay… so now can someone please explain to me why you all look like something really bad is about to happen?"

Chiron sighs in his wheelchair and shifts uneasily. "Adara… we have just received word that Luke is still alive… and so is Aaron—the host body. They survived the fight back in December."

The first thing that comes to my mind is… _holy shit he didn't die from that fall?_ Luke got pushed off a cliff by Thalia. How is he not dead? And Aaron? The host body for Kronos? He dropped off the side of the mountain, too. What happened?

"What?" I say, speechless. Anna bites her lip anxiously. Thalia picks at her nails. Percy fidgets before standing up and pacing the room. "But how…" I look to Thalia. "You…"

She glances up at me and for a second I regret bringing the memory back to her. But she simply says, "Yeah. I pushed his off a cliff. I have no idea how he survived that fall."

"So what does this mean? I mean… um… why are you telling _me_ this? Shouldn't you be telling the other cabin leaders, too?" I ask, confused a bit. Something isn't right here. They're leaving something out.

"We're telling you because…" Chiron lets out another one of his I'm-an-old-man sighs and says, "Our sources have told us that he is planning to come after _you_."

My eyebrows pop up in surprise. I swear, one sentence has never made me so flustered before. "Huh? Why?"

Percy interjects as Chiron massages the crook of his nose between his eyes.

"We think he might be trying to get into camp through the Labyrinth… there's an entrance—er, exit—to it near Zeus' fist… but he can't find a mortal with the gift of sight that isn't scared to death of demigods and this whole situation. You're the only demigod that can see the Labyrinth clearly."

I piece the puzzle together in my head and realize… "He wants me because I can lead him through the Labyrinth without a problem, right?"

Percy nods. "It would be a complete and total disaster. We know you wanted to leave tomorrow to visit your mother but we don't think that's such a good idea with him wanting to kidnap you."

I let out a noise—something between a sigh and a groan. "If I have to explain to my mother one more time that I can't come visit her the one time she's in Manhattan she'll personally come here and drag me to her apartment, Percy." I'm nineteen but my mother is a traveling (not to mention world famous) interior decorator and fashion designer. She bought me an apartment across the busy street from her loft.

"Adara," Annabeth says lightly. "This is a matter of protecting this camp… if he gets a hold of you…" I stopped her short before she got emotional about him.

"Annabeth, I slip under the monsters' radar because I'm not a true demigod. So, he won't be able to use his servants to find me. I doubt he even knows about my new apartment. The only thing I ever mentioned in camp when he was around was my mother's house in Upper State New York, not Manhattan. He doesn't know I moved."

"But we can't count on that," Thalia insists. "He has his ways of finding out things… There's a spy here, remember?" She reminds me of that.

I almost slap myself. "Oh… wonderful… yeah how could I forget the traitor we still can't find?"

Chiron says, "We cannot keep you from going to Manhattan tomorrow… but we recommend you do not leave camp… it would be a matter of our security."

_What am I going to tell my mother this time? Hmmm…_

"What if went incognito? I could put on a wig and put in contacts—turn into a totally different person until I get to my mother's apartment." It was a good idea, really. But of course Thalia had to say…

"What if he's already there waiting for you?"

"Damn," I mumble under my breath. This was going to be harder than I thought. "Well… it's a risk I'm going to have to take. I have to see her. I haven't seen her since Christmas time. I'll be careful. I promise."

"Dara, please," Annabeth practically begs me.

I start to get up and they all stand up too. "We could take you," Percy insists.

"Percy, you're forgetting there are people watching my mother. If they see her, and her daughter with three random teenagers the press will have a field day. I can't do that to her."

I go to walk out of the room and they still follow me. Chiron sighs loudly in the background and spins his wheelchair around.

"Adara," he says, speaking above the mindless chatter. They stop and looked over at him. "Just make sure you Iris Message us every chance you can… and here," he says, tossing me a bag. It's full of drachmas.

I smile, "Thanks, Chiron. I will."

With that I leave the big house… with the three musketeers still trailing behind me.

"Adara this is a matter of the sake of our world!" Percy says with a bit of venom in his voice. "How can you put us all at risk like that?"

I sigh in frustration and turn around mid-walk. "Percy I'm not a twelve year old. I'm nineteen and can handle myself just fine. My dad even gave me some things to keep me safe. I'll be fine."

"But, Dara!" Annabeth insists.

I turn on my heel and shout over my shoulder, "I'm still leaving in the morning! I'll see you all then!"

* * *

><p>"My gods why is she so dense?" Thalia shouts angrily. "She's underestimating Luke. Does she not realize he practically came back from the dead?"<p>

Annabeth and Percy exchange a look. "Can't we just tie her up and not let her leave?" Thalia laughs at Percy's proposal and shakes her head, meanwhile thinking it _would_ be hysterical…

"No… but you two _can_ spy on her," Thalia suggests slyly.

"But we have a briefing with the rest of the leaders tomorrow," Annabeth says.

"Well I certainly can't do it—hunter stuff to deal with, you know. I'm lieutenant."

Percy rolls his eyes. "I guess now all we can do is pray to whatever gods will listen that she gets there and back safely…"

* * *

><p>As soon as I finish packing my weekend bag I flop onto my bed in the lonely minor gods' cabin. No one has ever been in here with me. It's like being a daughter of the big three.<p>

I don't even un-make my bed. It's too hot out, and I'm about ten seconds away from knocking out cold.

I close my eyes and prepare for the nightmares.

"_Adara," an ancient voice calls out my name. It starts off like every other nightmare… but then…_

"_Dad?" I ask, seeing his face through the dimness of the space. I just know it's him._

_He speaks. "Adara you must listen to them. You must do as they say. I am locked in an agreement now." His voice sounds uneasy, as if a knife was at his throat at the moment. I shiver as the ancient voice laughs—Kronos._

"_Yes, that's right, little half blood. You belong to _us_ now."_

"_What?" I ask in confusion. My heart rate is starting to spiral up. What does he mean by that? I'm not a piece of property._

"_Once we find you and you arrive here with us you will be locked in a binding agreement by the River Styx."_

"_I won't do it," I insist._

"_You will have no choice, I'm afraid," Kronos answers back hastily._

_Then a new voice enters the picture. "Don't make this hard, Dara. Tell me where you're going to be tomorrow." It's Luke. I know it. I practically shiver in my sleep at his voice._

"_No." I'm defiant._

"_Tell him," Kronos hisses angrily._

"_No," I say again._

_Suddenly I feel something cold on my neck. I know it's a blade by the sharpness of the metal._

"_Answer him, Adara. Obey him," my dad warns._

"_No," I say once more._

"_Adara, please," my dad begs. "Please…"_

_I shake my head and feel the coldness press against my skin harder. It presses down even harder after a few more defiant 'no's from me. _

_If it was real life… I would've been dead._


	2. Bonding Time Equals Shopping Time

**A/N: Don't worry, the good part is coming soon ;) Chapters will be getting longer. I promise! 3**

There's such a thing as 6:00 in the morning on a Saturday? I haven't known that until now.

Groaning and hitting the off button on my alarm clock I sit up in bed. There's a thin coating of sweat on my body—nightmares, you know, the norm. I feel disgusting and can't wait to get to my mom's apartment to shower in a nice bathroom instead of the camp ones. Shared showers just freak me out, even with the cleaning Harpies.

Thinking back on last night's dream I can't help but feel uneasy about this trip. But I can't let a stupid threat like this ruin my life. Odds are they'll never find me. Luke hasn't seen me in years. He probably even forgot about my house in Upper State New York.

I try to reassure myself that everything will be just fine. I get dressed in my regular attire—jean shorts, a tank top and (to be dressy since I'll be in the city shortly) gladiator sandals. I even put on some jewelry for once after doing my morning rituals for makeup and hair.

I think this is the thing that freaks everyone out. I'm the daughter of one of the greatest—possibly _the_ greatest—inventor of all time… and I hate almost everything he loves. The only thing that interests me is the medicine side of his inventions—which are little to none. I still have his brains, I just choose to put them towards a career in medicine. I start up in my second semester at NYU in September.

See here's the thing… my dad is not a god. He's an immortal. The gods granted him immortality. Then of course he made himself into a robot or something a few years ago. I really don't know what happened there. I swear. However, I guess this means I don't inherit a lot of his traits.

I _am_ quite like my mother though—fashion savvy and a decorating fanatic.

All is silent as I sling my backpack over my shoulder and close the cabin door behind me. A light morning breeze tousles my honey blonde hair softly. It smells like strawberries—as usual. My cabin is right near the fields. But the smell is nice today—not sickening.

I begin my walk to the big house. Just as it comes into my view I see Chiron standing on the front porch—in his centaur form. It's a noble sight. The light morning sunshine creates quite the glow around him. His face looks calm; serene. It's about time. I haven't seen him this relaxed in months; years even.

At first he doesn't see me. I take a moment to remember his peaceful demeanor. But then, he notices me as I grow nearer and frowns.

"Morning, Chiron," I say with a heavy yawn.

I must look terrible because he asked, "Bad night of sleep?"

I nod and say, "Bad dreams."

He makes a face and asks, "Did he speak to you?"

"Who?" I ask before putting the piece together. "Oh! Um… not really…"

"Adara," he says in a warning tone of voice. "You need to tell me these things."

I sigh and tell him what happened in my dreams last night. His face makes me think he wants to tie me up and make me stay here.

"It is not safe for you out there anymore," he states. It's a statement, not a hypothesis.

I bite my lip nervously. "But I have to… I haven't seen her in months. She'll be worried about me…"

His horse legs shift with anxiety as he says, "You are free to make your own choices. I cannot make you stay. But please keep in touch."

I nod, "I will. I promise. I'll Iris Message you as soon as I get to the apartment."

With that I start off towards my car, which is parked right next to the big house. I just barely make it through the gates with my Nissan Rouge. Thank god it's a tiny SUV.

The ride is boring, as usual. I have my iPod on shuffle and blast it the entire time.

When I finally reach the parking garage I'm beyond exhausted. I hate driving in the mornings. It makes me even sleepier.

I tiredly get out of the car, grab my bag, hit the locks and make my way towards the connecting walkway. There's no one up and walking around here at eight thirty in the morning, so everything is quiet. People are sleeping in, taking their time getting ready for the day. Meanwhile, I'm worried about getting kidnapped, never mind the latest sales going on at Saks 5th Avenue.

I arrive on the third floor in no time. My mom is at the door in seconds after I ring the bell.

"Oh, sweetie! I've missed you so much!" She shouts, embracing me in a bear hug in the middle of the hallway. I laugh and try to explain that she's choking me by squeezing me too hard. She lets go quickly. "Sorry. Long time no see!"

I shrug my bag off and dump it in her spare bedroom.

"So," she says excitedly. "What did you want to do today? Go shopping?" She winks. "I came out with a new collection for summer. It'll look amazing on you—all the green shades. I made an entirely green themed line in the collection inspired by those amazing eyes of yours."

I laugh and remember how evergreen my eyes are. She smiles and says, "You should try some of them on. You can even take the whole line back to camp!"

"Thanks, mom," I laugh and get ready for an exciting day of shopping.

But before I can change into something more New York-ish I Iris-Message camp.

"Hey, Chiron," I greet his face with Percy, Annabeth and the rest of the cabin leaders in the background. "Oh… hey guys," I laugh a little and wave. They all wave back.

"Ah, you're just in time for the meeting, Adara," Chiron chuckles. **(A/N: Let's all just pretend like Silena stopped spying for Luke around this time. Okay? Okay. Back to the story!)**

"Uh… I can't stay long, though," I say as my mom shouts from the kitchen for me to see something. I wince and every chuckles a little. "Mom wants to go shopping. Just letting you know I'm still okay."

"Alright," he says, a bit disappointed. "Stay in contact."

I nod. "I will. See you later!"

With that, I rush down the hall and into the sitting room where she's waiting, holding up the most gorgeous tank top, pair of ripped jean shorts and wedges she's ever designed. My mouth drops.

"Oh my gosh it's gorgeous." I gape at it as she hands it to me with a smile.

"I know. I said the line was inspired by you."

"Aw, thanks," I laugh and peck her on the cheek. I change into it and feel pretty damn hot. I'll admit her outfits always make me feel sexy.

We spend the walking down SoHo and shopping the hottest shops. We save her boutique for last. She gives me practically a whole new wardrobe.

* * *

><p>"I've got visual," Ethan says, mimicking a CIA operative.<p>

Luke rolls his eyes and slaps him on the arm. "I know you idiot," he hisses, "I'm standing right here."

"Oh, I thought you didn't see her at first. You didn't say anything," Ethan shrugs before rubbing his arm.

"Tell me why he's still here again?" Jesse asks from beside Luke.

Eric answers for him. "Because apparently little Lukey needs three of us to back him up."

Luke throws a glare their way before continuing to stare through the windows of Adara's mother's boutique. He can see her honey blonde hair through the glass. That's the first thing he saw when he spotted her walking into the shop with her mother. Coming here had been a long shot. They used it as a last resort since they discovered he mother's mansion in upper state New York was vacant.

After a long silence—a period of the four of them simply leaning against a brick wall in the alley way—Jesse says, "It's unbelievable how hot she is when she's just a daughter of Daedalus."

"Mm," Eric says, putting a hand to his chin thoughtfully. "She could easily equal an Aphrodite chick."

"Yeah," Ethan chuckles, "and this lucky bastard gets to spend every waking moment with her for the next few months."

He motioned towards Luke and Luke laughed, "Like she's ever leaving us. I'm making sure she stays. We could use the Labyrinth for during the actual war—and even after…"

"And you could always use a wife like that," Jesse—a fellow twenty-two year old—grinned.

Luke's lips turned up into a smile. He kind of liked that idea…

As she walked out of the store an hour later—bags in hand—he admired her stunning, yet petite figure. She couldn't be taller than five foot two without those heels on. However, she did look good with them on. They made her lightly tanned legs look longer and showed off the muscles she'd no doubt gained at camp. Her skin simply glowed. Her smile was radiant.

She laughed at something her mother said and even the boys remarked.

"Gorgeous smile," Eric commented.

"Well enjoy it now because she won't be smiling once we show up in her apartment."


	3. The Kidnapping

Adara! I'm going out with David for a little while if that's okay with you," my mom calls from the kitchen. She's talking about her newest lover boy. I roll my eyes and shout back…

"Of course it's okay! We spent all day with each other."

"Are you sick of me already?" She asks, laughing on her way out the door.

"Nah," I shrug. "Not yet… bye! Love you!"

"Love you too!" She shouts, rushing out the door.

And then the boredom begins… watch a movie? Already did that. Listen to music? Did that in the car…

So, I decide to take a shower. It's really needed right about now. Once I'm finished and my hair is nice and straight—thank god for flat irons and working plugs (of which there are none at camp except for the Aphrodite cabin) I slip off the towel and change into pajamas from (you guessed it) my mom's sleepwear line.

The cotton, polka dotted short shorts are so comfy, along with the matching camisole. I'm ready to flop onto my bed and pass out… but I know I have to contact the camp again.

I trudge into the living room like last time and throw my drachma into the little fountain my mom has on the wall next to the pictures of me and her family. In seconds Chiron appears with the cabin leaders behind him in various places around the sitting room of the big house. Percy, Annabeth, Thalia, Silena, Connor and Travis, Pollux, Clarisse, Beckendorf, Katie and Michael. They're all there.

"Were you guys waiting for me?" I ask hesitantly. I know the answer is going to be…

"Yes," Percy answers with a slight nod. "Thanks for actually messaging us back. We were starting to get worried."

I roll my eyes a bit. "There's nothing to be worried about, Perce. Trust me… so what did you discuss today? What did I miss?"

Percy and Annabeth do a quick recap of the meeting with some comments from Clarisse, Michael and Katie in the background. I ignore them and get the point of what the meeting was about.

"So _you_ need me to get through the Labyrinth? Isn't that kind of pointless…?"

"Not with the plans we have," Annabeth says. "We want to plant traps and defense systems so that even if the Titan Army _does_ find their way through they won't be able to make it here in one piece."

I nod. It's a good plan. "So as soon as I get back we'll start working on it?"

Percy nods. "You're coming back on Monday, right?"

"Yep."

"Oh and by the way we found the spy… it was Marc Delmont of the Ares cabin…" Percy winces, as if Clarisse might reach over and punch him for mentioning it. But she simply shrugs and says, "He's no son of Ares. We never did like him…"

"Okay then…" I start to think… what if it's not just him… what if there are more?

"You didn't…" I begin to say.

"No we didn't kill him," Clarisse says with a grin. "We had a little fun before kicking him out into the dirt. Let's just say he'll never mess with us again… and we might have scared off all the other spies if there are any…"

I raise my eyebrows at Clarisse's statement and nod. I clear my throat. "Well then… okay…"

Just then I get a text. My iPhone buzzes and I pick it up.

Mom: I forgot my wallet on the kitchen counter, Dara. Can you bring it to the door for me? I'm on my way back home now.

As I'm typing back, Okay, I'll be waiting, Katie says, "Isn't that kind of a stupid idea—for you to be carrying around a cell phone that Luke's monsters can easily track?"

That little bitch is always out to get me.

"Have you not realized by now that I'm not a true demigod? Therefore, monsters don't actively come after me? If they see me, sure, they'll probably pick a fight, but they never _come after_ me… and even if they do sense the waves coming off of this thing they won't know it's mine. They just know it's a demigod's." Satisfied with my answer I look up to see her giving me a dirty glare through the water.

"Please insert one drachma," a light voice says. I throw another coin in, desperate to not be lonely tonight.

A few minutes later, as we're discussing strategies and defense systems to put in the tunnels, there's a knock at the door.

"Dara," Chiron warns, "Do not answer that door."

I give him a sigh and hold up the text from my mom for him to see. "It's just my mom picking up her keys. And plus, there's a look-hole on my door. I can see who's there before I open it," I say in a matter-of-fact tone of voice.

Pushing off the couch I hear the voice tell me to insert one more drachma again and call over my shoulder, "I'll talk to you all tomorrow morning, okay?"

"Dara, wait!" Percy yells. He's cut off by the message ending.

I have to go on my tip-toes just to see through the hole. But, when I peer through the tiny thing there's nothing there—my mom isn't standing in front of the door begging for her keys so she can get back to her date.

With a puzzled look on my face I try to look down… is it possible she fell or something? I unlock the door and open it a crack, worried she's hurt. But she's not on the floor in front of our landing.

The look on my face turns from confused to terrified as a familiar voice says, "Looking for something, Adara?"

My heart starts to race in my chest as Luke pops out from one side of the doorway. I jump, gasp and try to slam the door all at the same time—and fail epically.

His hand catches the door before I can close it and keeps it open. He's gotten stronger. He pushes it back open easily, sending me stumbling backwards. Suddenly his right-hand-men appear behind him; Eric, Ethan and Jesse are grinning like idiots—as usual (I went to camp with Eric and Jesse—they're the same age as Luke).

My eyes widen. I know I'm deep shit. They know it, too.

"What's the matter, Dara? Cat got your tongue?" Eric teases as I open my mouth to say something and no noise comes out.

"Aw, I think she's scared," Jesse laughs.

"H—how did you…?" I stare at Luke as if he's a ghost. To me—a person who hasn't seen him in about three years—he is.

He chuckles. "Actually that's a funny story. We were desperate for a lead and went to your mom's boutique. You were walking towards it at the same time we were… strange twist of fate, huh?"

"Twist of fate? I don't think so," I say, inching back slowly. My sword is in its charm-form on the coffee table next to my iPhone. "Because I'm not helping you anyway."

He flat-out laughs at that. "Always the stubborn one, huh Dara? Well I'm afraid you're going to have no choice."

They all lunge for me at the same time as I grab my sword. It pops into its true size. They unsheathe theirs… and suddenly mine looks like a toothpick. Then I see Luke's sword… the one he showed everyone at camp before he left. Just looking at it sends a chill down my spine. It's pure evil. Getting sliced by that thing could kill someone just as easily as a full blow from a normal sword.

But as I start to realize that four on one isn't exactly ideal I attempt to run for it first. I slice at them once and try to dodge around them for the door, but Eric snags my waist. I slash at his arm and he jumps back, for fear of his arm getting cut off. Sprinting for my bedroom, I heard them behind me…

"We won't hurt you, Adara!" Ethan yells.

"You have our word!" Luke shouts. "Just come with us peacefully!"

I roll my eyes and slam the bedroom door shut, locking it. I search for something to prop against the door. But the furniture in this guest bedroom is too heavy. I won't be able to move it in time.

Surprisingly, I don't hear them banging on the door, ready to knock it down. There's silence… and then… a light clicking noise.

_Oh shit, he's a child of Hermes._

I should have realized Luke would be prepared to pick a lock.

I rush towards it and try to hold on to it as it jiggles. But two seconds later I'm sprawled out on the floor with the four of them standing over me… let's just say I think we all know who has the stronger hands now…

I scramble to get up but they're way faster and the sword is knocked out of my clammy hands in seconds. Eric and Jesse grab my arms harshly and yank me to my feet. Luke steps forward.

"I thought you would be smarter than this, Adara," he says, looking amused at the situation.

"Four against one, Luke?" I ask venomously. "What were you, scared to fight me alone?"

He laughs, "Like you would stand a chance. Remember all those training sessions at camp?" He steps closer and smirks. "You and the other girls were too distracted to even _think_ with me around."

I want to slap him. "Excuse me? I was never one of those girls and you know it!"

"You still never won a fight against me, sweetheart." He hands my sword to Ethan. "And don't forget about the time I found out your weakness." The boys chuckle as if they know the whole story.

"_Getting tired yet, Luke?" I asked with a slight bit of sassiness. I felt a win coming on. It would be the first time someone has beaten Luke in the history of the camp._

_He slashed at me again, looking a bit tired and laughed. "Not even close."_

_My sword met his we were locked in a battle of who could push down the hardest. We were both aiming for the neck. I twisted my body around and put my blade to his neck in triumph. Our bodies were pressed up against each other. His blue eyes stared back down into mine. The next thing I knew he was leaning down… getting closer and closer to my face… until… our lips met… and it was like heaven… until I felt a coldness on my back and my sword slip from my grasp._

_I pulled away panting. He was holding two swords to my chest._

"_Looks like I win again."_

"_Do not_ call me sweetheart," I hiss with a bit of redness tinting my cheeks. He just had to mention that…

All he does and chuckle lightly. "After we finish off this agreement I can call you whatever I want."

My mouth hangs slightly ajar as he and the boys laugh like there's an inside joke that I'm not privy to.

"Come on, pretty girl," Eric says as Luke slices through the air, revealing a portal. I'm pushed through and we end up on the _Princess Andromeda._ We're in some sort of special suite. There's a golden coffin at the far side of the room that gives off a coldness that's hard to describe. I shiver for no apparent reason and look up to see a man with blonde hair and a man with eyes as dark as night standing there staring at us.

Everyone but Luke bows. I even nod my head a little, sensing they're probably Titan Gods…

"We found her," Luke says, satisfied.

The blonde one speaks first. "Well done," he nods before stepping towards me. "So you are the daughter of Daedalus?" He seems to be inspecting me. He circles me like a vulture.

"I am Hyperion and that is Krios. No doubt you know who we are." _Kronos' brothers…_ I start to think things are going to get way more crazy in the next few months. If his brothers are already reincarnated it's only a matter of time before he rises again.

"We will arrive at an entrance to the Labyrinth soon. Krios and his team are working on finding one." That's one thing I don't have in my gift—I can't locate the entrances to the tunnels.

"Good," Luke says. He turns towards Eric, Ethan, Jesse and I. "Show her to her room, I'll be a few minutes."

They nod and bow before dragging me out by my arms. I know there will be bruises there tomorrow. What concerns me the most right now, though, is that they're snickering.

"What are you laughing about now?" I ask angrily.

"We're just thinking of how funny it's going to be when you find out where you'll be staying…"

I think for a moment. We arrive at a door at the very end of the hallway. It hits me when they open the door and there's a pair of winged converse sitting by the door.

"Oh no," I struggle in their arms. "No, no, no, no, no! I _am not_ staying in the same suite as him! Even the same ship is pushing it!"

They throw their heads back in laughter as I try to get away from their grasp. "You know it's funny because any girl on this ship right now would _die_ to be in his bed," Ethan laughs.

"They practically throw themselves at him," Eric agrees.

That statement about the bed had me reeling. "I _am not_ sleeping with him!"

"Oh well maybe not on the first night," Jesse says suggestively.

"Ugh, you're disgusting," I make a noise of distaste.

They push me by my arms farther into the sitting area and I go flying. Just as I turn around to desperately try and run out the door Ethan says, "'Night, Dara." He winks, and then they're gone.

Letting out a sigh—almost a cry of frustration—I trudge over to the couch and get comfortable. This is where I'll sleep. I've made up my decision.

A few minutes later, as I'm staring at the ceiling wondering how I can let my mom know I'm okay, he walks in. The look on his face when he sees my sprawled out on his couch is… disturbing.

"What a beautiful vision," he comments.

I don't say a word, simply crossing my arms and continuing to stare blankly at the ceiling. I let out a little huff.

"Are you sure you wouldn't prefer the bed?" He asks, sauntering over to the couch.

He almost sits down on my legs but I react swiftly and pull them to my chest, sitting up. He grins. "Oh I see how it is… don't want me touching you?"

"No, not really."

He chuckles lightly and casually runs a hand up the smooth skin of my leg. Goose bumps surface immediately and I draw back against the other arm of the couch even more.

"You sure enjoyed being that close to me four years ago," he comments. My eyes blink up to his. He stares back at me, amused and waiting for a response.

"Things have changed," I say simply.

"Oh so you _did_ like it?" He traps me in my own answer.

I roll my eyes. "I never said that."

"Right. But you never said you didn't."

I clench my jaw and resist the urge to punch him. I know it would only end up with me getting hurt even more.

"Come on, Dara, I know you can't hate me that much." He touches my leg again and scoots closer. I can feel the fabric of his gray sweatpants on my toes.

"With all the trouble you're causing for those poor children at camp? Yes. I think I can." I say bitterly.

He sighs. "We went to camp together, Adara. You know me. I still care about them—I'm trying to make things better for them."

"Helping the Titans take over isn't going to help them," I say, looking away from him.

"You don't understand. You're just like the rest of them. You think the Titans are going to burst onto the scene and destroy the entire planet… but that's never what I meant by taking over and rebuilding the earth. I meant they plan on gradually making things better."

I resist the urge to look at him. His hand glides up my leg, but I can't pull away any farther. So, I lower them and tuck them beside me. That only allows him to move even closer. His hand stays on my leg. I can't help but shiver slightly.

"I can't believe that until I see it," I say quietly.

"Soon you will," he answers back calmly.

My heart skips a beat. He's too confident he's going to win with me now in his possession.

"If you want to sleep in a nice comfortable bed I promise I won't make you feel weird."

I give him a skeptical look. "No thanks."

"Suit yourself," he says with a shrug. "But I know in the middle of the night tonight you'll be wishing you'd just said yes."

With that, he gets up and leaves. I think he's gone for good. But then he walks in with a blanket and drops it onto me. I almost jump.

"You're welcome," he says humorously as I stare at the soft blue thing now lying on my legs.

He walks into the bedroom. The lights go off. I hear the rustling of bed sheets and know he isn't coming back anytime soon. My eyelids won't listen to my brain (which is saying to not trust anyone around here and not fall asleep) and soon they're closing like iron curtains.

"_Adara! My baby! Please, no! Don't hurt her!" I hear my mom screaming my name. She doesn't come into view until I turn the corner down a dark hallway. As I pass by a room I glance in and see her sitting there, curled up in a ball on the ground. She's sobbing. She's all aone. When she looks up and sees me her eyes fill with terror. She shakes her head vigorously as I step into the room. "Don't!"_

_A dark shadow steps out from the darkness and appears in front of my mom. "Pledge your allegiance to me and she lives." The cold, emotionless voice demands. I step forward and suddenly there's a sword at her throat._

"_No! Please!" I beg desperately. "Please, she's all I have left!"_

"_Then pledge yourself to me. Serve me and she can go free."_

"_Don't do it, Dara!" My mom screams. She knows all about the war and the situation at hand. The blade presses harder against her skin. I see blood seep out as she gasps in pain._

"_No! No wait!" I say, just about ready to drop to my knees and beg._

"_Say it," Kronos commands._

_The tears previously welled up in my eyes were now overflowing, rolling down my cheeks. I wiped at them furiously, determined not to show any signs of weakness around him._

"_Oh but I already know your weaknesses, Adara," he reads my mind. "This is one of them… family… the second one? Your friends… you're so much like Jackson it's almost like you should be his sibling."_

"_I'll do it, just let her go!" I cry, dropping to my knees weakly._

"_Adara! Listen to me! _Do not!_" My mom yells. "The fate of the camp is at stake!"_

_I shake my head. "I can't watch him kill you." I'm almost reduced to sobs._

"_Say it. Say you pledge yourself to me."_

"_I—I…"_

I gasp, shooting straight up on the couch. A voice echoes in my head. _"Oh but I already know your weaknesses, Adara."_ I shudder and realize there are tears actually falling down my cheeks. A thin layer of sweat glistens on my skin. My heart is racing and I feel like there's not enough oxygen in my lungs. Wiping the tears away I get up and walk over to the sliding glass door. It's open, so I walk out onto the tiny balcony overlooking the water. It's on the very back of the ship.

I catch my breath and stare out at the pitch black ocean. My mind is still racing as my heart calms down. I grip the railing anxiously.

"Nightmare?" A voice comes from behind me. I jump, not remembering where I am. I remember _he_ is still here.

I don't even turn around. I don't even answer. I just keep staring.

I can sense him beside me. He staring at me. It's then that my eyes decide to overflow with left-over tears. Hr brushes one away and tucks a lock of blonde hair behind my ear.

"They'll keep getting worse since you're closer to him… and until you pledge yourself." His voice is eerily low and husky. It's nothing like when he was nineteen. I shiver and swallow down a cry. He definitely notices because he tries to wrap his arms around me and pull me in for an embrace. I unclench my hands from the railing and sniffle, walking back into the suite.

"Dara," he calls out as the sliding door closes shut.

Tears still spilling out of my eyes I whip around and ask venomously, "What?"

He walks towards me as I stand in the middle of the sitting room, wiping away tears every two seconds. He's giving me that sympathetic look everyone gives when they see someone crying. I hate that look. It makes me feel pathetic.

He reaches me as soon as I go to turn away from him and pulls me into his chest. I realize just how tall he is when my cheek is rested on his breastbone. I can hear his calm heart beat and breathing as he pets my hair.

"I need to get some sleep," I mumble, pulling away from him and heading back towards the couch.

He sighs and follows me. "Are you sure you don't want to—."

"No," I answer shortly—except this time I've lost my viciousness. It comes out timid and scared.

I wrap myself up in the blanket in the darkness and try to ignore the feeling of dread that's come over me.

"Are you cold?" He asks.

I shake my head, even though, silently, I'm a bit chilly.

But he gets the point and leaves me alone, walking back into his bedroom. The rest of my night is spent nightmare-free. I don't know whether that's a good sign or a bad sign.


	4. Things Take A Turn For The Worst

"Wake up, sleepy head," someone's talking straight into my ear. I mumble something incoherent and open my eyes to see none other than Luke Castellan staring me in the face.

My hope that yesterday was just a dream is shattered.

And he's also way too close to my face for comfort… then I notice he doesn't have a shirt on.

I roll my eyes, "Well isn't waking up to your face the best way to start off a day…"

He chuckles and walks away. The smell of food catches my attention as he says, "That reminds me; you'll be coming with me today. We have some things to attend to."

With a sigh I push myself up off the couch and walk into the kitchen. He looks up from the counter and blinks. "I take it you didn't get a good night's sleep…"

I narrow my eyes at him and sit down at a stool. Suddenly I remember… he saw me breakdown last night. I can't believe I let him see me like that.

"It's only going to get worse, Dara." He puts an assortment of food on two plates and walks over, setting one in front of me. One plate is already on the other side of the island, so he lingers next to me. I feel him brush away a stray hair and tuck it behind my ear. Turning my head, I look up at him. He stares at me. "They weren't going to let you see your mother, were they?"

I blink and stare at him; stunned. "H—How did you…"

He smirks. "I have my ways…" Walking around the island, he sits down across from me and says, "You might want to eat something."

We ate in silence for the most part, except for small conversations—or more like bickering—when he tried to convince me that pledging myself was a good idea.

"For the last time, Luke, no. I can't." I sigh as he gets ready for the day and I realize I have nothing to wear. "Well maybe if you gave me pants I'd think about it," I mumble.

He hears me.

"I have more than enough extra stuff in here for you to wear," he says with a smirk. I eye him suspiciously and follow him into his walk-in closet. There's a section in the back with plenty of clothes that will fit me. Though, most of the tops are extras of his old ones…

It's almost like…

"What were you? Planning for my arrival?"

"Yes," he says without skipping a beat.

I roll my eyes before picking out a pair of black Soffee shorts and one of his old blue plaid button-ups. When I turn around to head towards the bathroom to get dressed I realize he's already in there. So, I quickly change into the shorts. However, just as I'm taking the camisole off and pulling the plaid shirt on he walks through the door. I let out a slight gasp of surprise and turn away from him, struggling to do the buttons.

"Calm yourself, Adara. It's not like I haven't seen any girl naked before."

My eyes pop open a little bit at that statement. Doing the last button and starting to tie a knot to make it fit better, I turn around to face him.

"You're kidding me, right?" I ask. Sure, I mean, he's hot but… are the girls on this ship really that into him?

He chuckles. "No. Come on, Dara you know me. I'd never lie about something like that." His eyes scan over me. "By the way, you _do_ look pretty hot in my shirt."

I scoff and roll my eyes, grabbing a pair of flip flops on my way out. Minutes later he's pulling me by my arm down the hallway.

"Exactly _what_ business are we attending to today?" I ask him, catching up to his fast pace of walking.

"You'll see," he says simply.

And so, for the rest of the day I get tugged around like a puppy on a leash by him. He takes me to where Krios is searching for an entrance to the Labyrinth. Apparently, they've been acting up so there are no specific locations anymore. The war is upsetting my father's creation.

Then, we meet with Hyperion, who is taking care of the army. They're practicing when Luke and I walk into the gym and exercise area of the ship. An arrow goes flying past Luke's head and we quickly leave.

Then, he drags me to another suite where Jesse, Eric and Ethan have set up shop. They've become Luke's eyes and ears.

When they see him pulling me through the doorway they do what I thought they would do.

"Damn, got a pretty good hold on her, don't you, Luke?" Jesse chuckles, looking up from his paperwork. A can of beer sits on his desk, un-opened. I know that won't last long.

Eric chimes in with, "So what's it like having that pretty little thing waiting in your bed for you?"

I scoff. "First of all, I _am not_ a _thing_," I hiss. "Second of all—."

"Second of all, she chose the couch," Luke says with a light laugh. "So… what do you guys have for me today?"

After some long discussions it's almost lunchtime. We eat with them (against my will). And before I can even let my mind catch up with my body it's almost six in the evening. We had dinner and now he's dragging me back to the admiralty suite for some odd reason… probably to freak me out with the coffin again…

I hear crying as we round the corner. I see the door come into view and hear Hyperion and Krios talking. I know their voices; their very distinctive booming voices. Then Luke opens the door… and my heart drops into my stomach.

My mom is tied down to a chair, battered and bruised beyond belief.

I almost drop to my knees in surrender right then and there.

"Mom."

I go to rush towards her but Luke's strong arm catches my waist and pulls me back against his chest. I gasp and beg him, "Please, please, Luke don't hurt her."

"That's really not up to me anymore." His deep voice in my ear combined with his breath on my neck makes me shudder.

I look to Hyperion. "Please just don't hurt her," I plead, tears rimming my eyes. I know I shouldn't show my weakness but…

_I already know your weaknesses, Adara…_ Kronos' voice echoes in my head. I shiver and stifle a cry, resisting Luke—or at least trying to. But he proves to be far too strong for me.

"If you want to see your mother live, Adara," Hyperion says coldly, "I suggest you pledge yourself." He motions towards the kneeling space before the golden coffin. I stare at it with wide eyes. My heart beats faster with each passing moment.

"Dara, don't do it!" My mother says suddenly. "I'm not important! This is about the fate of camp! The fate of the w—." Krios cuts her off by tying a rag around her mouth. She stares at me as I panic, shaking her head. She keeps shaking her head 'no'.

I try desperately to get away from Luke's grasp as Hyperion holds his sword to her throat. "I will not hesitate."

The tears leave my eyes, silently rolling down my cheeks. I feel Luke's grip on my tiny waist tighten.

"Adara, don't do this. You won't be able to forgive yourself," Luke says. I know he's right. That's why I cry even more. Such a sign of weakness. I want to slap myself senseless.

I see blood starting to trickle down my mother's neck. Hyperion is staring straight at me, pushing down harder and harder on the blade until…

"Please, stop!" I beg, near the edge of breaking down. "Please! I'll do it! Just stop!"

My mother shakes her head some more, staring at me with pleading eyes.

I just say, "I can't watch him kill you."

Hyperion grins a wicked grin as Luke guides me over to the casket. He kneels down with me and says, "Repeat what I say." I nod with tears still rolling down my face and he continues. "I pledge myself and my knowledge to the Titan Lord, Kronos. My lord, please accept my offering."

I repeat what he says and hear… _I knew you would come to your senses, my dear. I will certainly accept your offering…_

My eyes are closed, but I feel a tugging in my chest. When I open my eyes I see a mist of gold wafting through the air. It's drifting away from my body. And it keeps pulling and pulling until I think my lungs might pop out of my chest. Just as I grab at my chest the mist disappears into the casket. I realize I haven't been breathing and take a huge gasp of a breath. I inadvertently end up leaning into Luke. I feel weak; like some of my life had just gotten sucked out of me.

But I find enough strength to turn around and kneel next to my mother's chair. She stares down at me with tears cascading down her cheeks and over the rag.

"You can take the rag off, I did what you asked." Hyperion stares at me sympathetically for a moment before ripping the rag off and leaving the room with a smirk on his face. Krios follows him out after telling Jesse, Ethan and Eric, "Make sure she gets home safely."

"Mom," I say, my voice cracking.

"You shouldn't have done that," she says between sobs. "You shouldn't have done that."

I wrap my arms around her one last time and whisper, "I love you… and I'll make it through this. Don't worry. It's not your fault."

Luke pulls me away and I stumble out the door. I feel pathetic and weak. He goes to pick me up and I protest. "I can walk just fine," I say, a bit more tearful than I'd intended. I rub my cheeks furiously, trying to get the tears to stop. I see the door to his suite and walk out ahead of him, only to find it's locked.

He unlocks it and goes for my hand, but I pull away before he can grab it. All I want is some time to curl up into a ball and cry. But he won't have any of that.

As soon as I collapse onto the couch in a fit of sobs he's there, sitting next to me. I hide my face in my hands. I feel his hand go up my back and wrap around my waist. He tries to pull me back against his chest but I resist.

"Adara, please… I hate seeing you cry."

"Well you've done this to me!" I choke out while burying my head in my hands.

He leans forward and wraps an arm around me. His other hand catches a tear on my cheek, wiping it away. As sobs wrack my body and cause my shoulders to shudder he says, "Adara, listen to me. You'll be saving lives."

"And just how do you figure that, Luke?" I cry out, "That's a lie! I'll be sending you and your army to hold a massacre!"

He shushes me gently—in a way I've never heard him do before. Then he says, "Most of them will be granted mercy. I can promise you certain peoples' safety, though… like your mother and your half brother… even your step-dad."

"Screw the step-dad," I almost laugh. "Just my mother and Jake."

"That I can do," he says simply. His voice softens.

I calm my breathing down but find myself in the middle of a fit of hiccups. While I'm annoyed and bothered Luke is laughing.

"What are you laughing at?" I growl in between a hiccup. I'm still wiping the wetness from my face with a scowl.

He chuckles, "You have the cutest hiccup."

I take my hands away from my face and give him a look that can only say, 'what did you just say?'

My eyebrows quirk up in surprise. He grins. Then next thing I know he's leaning in towards me face and my brain is setting off alarm signals. _He's trying to KISS YOU, Adara! Snap out of it!_

I snap back to life and rear back, landing a swift slap across his cheek. With that, I push off the couch and walk towards the balcony, leaving him stunned behind me. Though it didn't nearly get rid of the anger boiling inside of my right now it _did_ help a little bit. I knew it would.

"Nice backhand," he comments, walking out onto the balcony. I feel his hand make contact with the small of my back and arch against the railing; away from his touch.

But the situation enters a whole new level of insanity when he grabs my hips and turns me around. In the light of the setting sun his already tanned face glows with a seemingly angelic quality—the total opposite of his real self. His blue eyes twinkle with every slight movement he makes, locked with mine. I'm backed up against the railing and frozen out of either shock or fear. Part of me thinks he's going to throw me off the side like a true enemy would. The other side of me says he's… going to try it again.

That other side of me causes me to try and fight my way out of his arms. It only results in me being crush against the railing once more.

"Are you scared of me, Dara?" He asks with a smirk.

"No," I answer without hesitation.

He just laughs to himself, "So then why do you keep running away from me?"

Damnit. I have been. Such a cowardly thing. I did it last night and I did it two times today. Huge mistake on my part.

I bite back a bitter comment, knowing that smart-mouthing won't get me out of this predicament. Only my charm can help me slip out of his arms and lead me safely away from his lips…

"Why don't you just stay put for once and face your fear?" He asks in all seriousness.

My eyebrows furrow in confusion. "What fear?" I say cautiously.

"Of me kissing you," he says, "you're scared you'll like it."

My jaw drops. I must look like a gaping goldfish because he laughs again. I reply with, "Excuse me?"

"You heard me," he says, dipping down. He's mere centimeters away from my face. "If you're so brave why can't you kiss me without hesitation and walk away like nothing happened?"

Gods be damned he has a point. I'm more screwed than I thought.

The stare between us is only broken when he finally presses his lips against mine. At first I tense, grab hold of the railing behind me and cringe. But his hands on my waist; his soft lips on mine; his body pressing against me. It's so much to take in that I close my eyes and let my hands fall from the railing. Instead, I lift them to brace his chest. I grab hold of some extra fabric, thinking it will help my weakening knees and the quickened beating of my heart.

When my knees become unsteady and butterflies in my stomach spring from their cocoons, I realize… he's doing this to me.

Luke Castellan is making my knees weak. Luke Castellan is making my stomach do flips. Luke Castellan is kissing me.

When he deepens it, caressing my face with one hand, I almost drop to the ground. It's a good thing he has a strong hold on my waist. My nerves are going into a sensory overload. The feeling of his hand hugging my waist tightly to his own is enough to make my heart flutter.

He finally breaks away, staying inches from my face. I look up slowly into clear blue eyes that glimmer with a touch of mischief. He says, "A little wobbly, Dara?"

I realize I'm leaning against him. _A lot._ I release my hands from his chest and flush a bright crimson color. He brushes a piece of hair from my cheek. That makes me blush even more.

"Now, about the sleeping arrangements…"

I give him an annoyed look, slip under his arm, and flounce right back into the living room to resume my place on the sofa.


	5. Update Apology! Please read!

Okay, so I'm really sorry I made you guys wait so long! :( I feel terrible for leaving all of you hanging, but I WILL be continuing THIS story. My love for Percy Jackson and the Olympians (specifically Luke *teehee*) has not faded! I'm back and better than ever, just give me a few days (Thanksgiving break during college is like a gift from Zeus himself) and hopefully I'll have another chapter posted.

Also, it would mean so much to me if you would go read my original story, loosely based off of the Percy Jackson series. It's called The Demigod Chronicles: Son of Kronos (Book One). When you click the link or copy/paste it, it'll give you a summary. See if it floats yer boat and try it out! :D And, if you reallyyyy like it (and you love me for actually updating something for the first time in months) please click the VOTE button and/or tell your friends to go read it!

story/1393842-the-demigod-chronicles-son-of-kronos

Once again, I'm terribly sorry for leaving anyone hanging, but between graduating high school and other mishaps that have occurred in the past few months I completely lost track of my FanFiction account. I sincerely hope no one hates me lol :P

Thank you, thank you, thank youuuuu x1000000

-NicolettaKatherine 3


	6. Half-Naked Encounters & Facing the Truth

**Alrighty, here's that update I promised :) once again, I'm so sorry for making you all wait so long! **

**P.S. My OCD mother threw out my Battle of The Labyrinth book, so I have to go out and buy a new one in order to continue writing this story along with the plot of BOTL. -_- in fact, I think I may have to buy the entire series again because I can't find any of the books.**

**But anyways, here we go!**

* * *

><p><strong><strong>I wake up, as always to the aching muscles that come with sleeping on a sofa. The memory of the kiss from last night is still fresh in my mind. No amount of denial or mental arguing with myself will let me forget it.

The fact that it felt so right... makes me feel like a traitor already. In fact, technically I am. I pledged myself. Percy, Annabeth, Chiron and the rest of the camp will never trust me again. EVER. The mere thought almost brings me to tears again, but I force myself to swallow them down. Now is not the time to show weakness. Now, it's time for me to prove that I'm more than just someone's pawn to play.

Luke is already up, making breakfast again. I'm not hungry, so I wander off and end up sitting on the balcony. The sunrise looks beautiful. Though, I can't understand why I'm even up so early.

"We should arrive at the entrance we found around eleven tomorrow morning," Luke says, taking a seat on the bench beside me. I automatically scoot away from him, which makes him move closer.

There's a pause of silence. I can feel him staring at me.

"Why, Luke?" I ask, staring out at the glimmering ocean water.

He sighs, "Can you not see how deluded the gods have become, Dara?"

Answering a question with a question. I should have known.

"No," I reply, crossing my arms and leaning back against the bench.

He says, "I didn't realize it until I got this..."

When I look over at him, his fingers are lightly running over the lighter skin of his scar. It's a struggle, but I don't look up into his eyes. I avoid them at all costs, looking back out at the water.

"The gods only love us when they need us," he says bitterly.

I bite my lip to keep from saying something out of anger that will escalate the situation. Once again, I get up and leave him, walking into the closet to change. I'm in no mood to talk.

When I get a look at myself in the mirror, I realize that just changing clothes is not going to help my rat's nest that used to be gorgeous blonde hair.

"Yeah, you look terrible," his voice doesn't even startle me anymore. Still, I recognize that tone of voice. He's teasing me, just like old times.

Turning around, I narrow my eyes at him. My angry silence makes him laugh.

"Why don't you go take a shower?" He asks, still smiling mischievously like a true son of Hermes.

I raise an eyebrow, "Why, so you can barge in on me?"

He throws his head back in laughter before saying, "As beautiful as you are, sweetheart I wouldn't do that. A guy like me doesn't have to walk in on a girl in order to see her naked."

Once again, his play-boy attitude catches me off guard. My jaw drops slightly and I scoff, "I'm not one of your devoted little fangirls, you asshole."

All he does is continue to laugh and walk out. I storm into the bathroom with new clothes in hand and take a nice hot shower. Upon getting out in just a skimpy towel, I do the fastest change in the history of fast-changes. Though, the short-shorts don't do much more than the towel. The t-shirt I have to tie in order to look like I actually have pants on helps a little. Showing so much skin on a ship where Luke, Eric, Ethan and Jesse are present is _not_ under _any_ circumstances a good idea.

Like a complete idiot, I go searching for a hair dryer, before realizing that he's a guy. So, I'm forced to braid my long hair into a french braid down my back.

When I exit the bathroom, he's nowhere in sight. Dumfounded, I wander into the bedroom and find nothing.

However, I wander into the closet to get those flip-flops I wore yesterday and find him half naked. He's got his khaki pants on, with loafers but no shirt. It's like an ad straight out of Abercrombie & Fitch. But, when I feel my face turning bright red I have to look away. Sure, I've seen him shirtless at camp before, but that was a couple of years ago. He's gotten, in all seriousness, way more attractive since then... and I can't let him think that I think that.

Wait, what?

"Have a nice shower?" He asks. I still don't look over at him. Instead, I continue my search for those flip flops in case he drags me along with him again.

"As nice as a shower can be, I guess," I answer, acting distracted.

I finally find the black flip flops and pick them up, ready to drop them near the door to the suite. On my way out, I feel him behind me. My braid goes swishing against my back when he flicks it like a little child.

"So, are you having fun making me miserable? Ruining my life? You know, tearing me away from my family?" I ask sarcastically, shrugging and dropping the sandals by the door.

He appears in front of me, fully clothed with a button-up shirt now covering those well-developed muscles.

"Not fun," he shrugs. "But, it is nice having you around."

That's it? No witty comment?

His answer distracts me, so I barely have time to react when he dips down and kisses me. _For the second time._ Because I'm an idiot.

This kiss is longer and I actually fight to pull away from him this time. When I do, I notice something cold against the skin of my neck. My hand raises to investigate and I find a chain and a pendant now hanging from my neck. Looking up at him in confusion, I tug at the chain to try and get it off, only to receive a _zap!_ of electricity.

I yelp in pain and he says, "Just in case you were thinking of making a run for it at any point in time during your stay with us, that's an enchanted chain. If you wander farther than a mile away from me, you'll receive an electric shock."

And, with a wink he's gone.

I roll the chain between my fingers and slide down against the door frame. As my butt hits the floor, my tear ducts swell. I swallow hard against the emotions.

_So stupid,_ I yell at myself. _How have you gotten so stupid?_

I spend a few moments just sitting there on the floor, pitying myself before a thought dawns on me.

Chiron. Percy. Everyone at camp.

They must think something is terribly wrong... well, that's because it is, but still.

"Shit," I mumble to myself. I know the only way to contact them is to get a drachma and some water. I have a shower, but I need a coin. And so, the scavenger hunt begins.

I search everywhere: the kitchen drawers, cabinets and even in a random cookie jar shaped like a cow (I'm not even going to ask about that). I wander over into the sitting area and search under the couch cushions (you know, where you would expect to find loose change). It turns out that demigods don't lose spare coins as often as humans do.

I look in the drawers in the table that holds the flat-screen TV but find nothing (except for an array of manly DVDs like Troy and 300). Then, I search other obvious places like his nightstand drawer and some of the drawers in the closet. That jerk must've thought I'd go looking for them.

For a very long time, I sit on the ottoman in the middle of the closet just staring into the mirror at myself... until...

The light bulb goes on in my head.

Where do guys usually lose things?

Their pockets.

Feeling a new sense of optimism, I walk over to the hamper first and cringe. The first thing I encounter is luckily not a pair of his boxers, only a shirt. I move that over and find the pants he had on yesterday. My hand feels around the two front pockets, but strikes (literal) gold when I dig around the back pockets.

I find not one, but two coins sitting in one back pocket.

A smile creeps upon my face as I rush into the bathroom (while silently praying to the gods that he doesn't arrive back here early).

I waste no time turning the shower on and throwing the coin in, saying the lines. I request Chiron.

His face appears, and I recognize the surrounding area as his living room, where he has a fountain dedicated only to Iris-Messages. He sighs in relief, "Oh, Adara thank the gods-."

"Uh, Chiron," I interrupt him. The sound of scuffling shoes and murmuring voices interrupts _me_ however. I spy Percy, Anna and the rest of the gang over Chiron's shoulder. They spot me and rush over, almost knocking Chiron out of his wheel chair.

"Adara!" Annabeth shouts in relief.

Little do they know...

Oh my gods, how am I going to explain this to them?

"Thank the gods, we thought something terrible had happened," Percy sighs.

I bite my lip and clear my throat. If I don't tell them now, I may not have a second chance. As I work up the nerve, Clarisse says, "Something _did_ happen."

I heave a huge sigh before nodding. "I, um... Luke... uh..."

"Please don't tell me you're with him," Percy groans before burying his face in his hands.

I stay silent. Like he said, don't say it... I don't want to.

Chiron stares at me in silence. His eyes seem to go hollow as the realization sets in. Percy keeps his face buried in his hands. Annabeth's jaw almost hits the floor. Thalia stands there; arms crossed, with her calculating eyes boring into me. I switch my gaze downwards, taking in the shame.

Thalia's voice could cut through diamonds as she says, "If we die, it's going to be _your_ fault."

**Ahhhhhh okay so there's that udpdate ;D I'm sorry if it's not what you were expecting :/ I actually wrote this in the 60-minute time frame I had between helping my mom cook for Thanksgiving and going to work. I better leave before I get another tardy! :O comments/critiques are welcomed as always! Thank you again and HAPPY (early) THANKSGIVING! 3**


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